Mastodon guitarist Bill Kelliher admits that he didn’t listen to the band’s first four albums much once they were finished. “My attitude was, I made the records; they’re for other people now.” But there’s something about the Atlanta quartet’s newest CD, The Hunter, that appeals to him. “It puts a big smile on my face. I listen to it, and I’m loving it. It takes me on a journey.”That’s putting it mildly. Due out 26 September (a day later in the US), The Hunter finds the Mastodonians – Kelliher, bassist/singer Troy Sanders, guitarist/singer Brent Hinds and drummer/singer Brann Dailor – in peak shredtastic form. Ditching the high-falutin’ concept themes of their previous efforts in favor of shorter, tighter, hallucinogenic thrill rides that deliver plenty of sonic surprises, it’s an invigorating experience that gains momentum with each cut. (Read our track-by-track review right here.)“It’s great that people are excited about the new record,” says Kelliher, “especially since there always seems to be these unreal expectations placed on us. When we put out Remission, everybody was like, ‘Holy shit! How are they going to top that?’ Then we put out Leviathan, and it was ‘Oh my God, how are they going to top Leviathan?’ [laughs] And so on.“We just have to do what we do. The records are an evolution, a story. We’re four guys who play from the heart. At the end of the day, that’s all there is.”MusicRadar sat down with Bill Kelliher recently to talk about the making of The Hunter, how he approached his guitar tracks, what instruments and gear he used and why recording in hotel rooms is so much fun.The production on The Hunter is more direct and to-the-point than on the band’s previous albums.“Direct, absolutely. It’s very streamlined and direct. It’s a maturity thing with us – we’re growing up as a band. I guess we’re showing our age, I don’t know. [laughs] But we still love harmony guitars, crazy solos – it’s wild. There is more depth to this record, though, along with the insanity.”Your choice for a producer is interesting. Mike Elizondo did Avenged Sevenfold’s last record, but mostly he’s work with hip-hop artists.“Yeah, but that’s what so cool about him. He wasn’t stale. Actually, Mike found us. He had wanted to work with us since Blood Mountain. The stars kind of aligned, and he was the guy standing there. We had a lot of rock guys in mind, but Mike really put himself out there to us. He flew down to Atlanta, took us out to lunch, and we got a really cool vibe from him. He didn’t seem like a typical hip-hop producer. He was a guy with tattoos, very real, and he knew what he was talking about.“He’s a real musician, too. He knows instruments, knows how to make a band sound like a band. He was hands-on, had ideas for songs. He was there to help us achieve our sound. We’re really happy with what he did. He didn’t throw turntables in the mix or anything.” [laughs]